Sakamoto Ryoma
BOOK REVIEW Kendoists who have long hungered for another novel which would
let them vividly experience the life of a great kenshi the way Yoshikawa
Eiji's MUSASHI does, will want to try RYOMA: LIFE OF A RENAISSANCE
SAMURAI, by Romulus Hillsborough, San Francisco, Ridgeback Press, 1999.
List price, $40. This is the incredible true story of Sakamoto Ryoma, a
Kendo activist in the mid-Nineteeth Century who played a key role and was
a pro-imperial witness to the wars and struggles leading up to the Meiji
Restoration. Born in 1836 into a family of Goshi (not hereditary samurai,
but respectable people permitted to carry swords) in the castle town of
Kochi, Ryoma had been a sickly kid whose life was rescued by the study of
Kendo under the great Chiba Sadakichi Sensei. Several of our Japanese
Ken-Yu have reacted very enthusiastically to the news that there is a new
book available in English about Ryoma. One said to us "Ryoma and his
friends had Samurai spirit with wisdom," and added, "I personally, love
Ryoma Sakamoto. He is a real man!" Another wanted to share with us that
in Japan, people can stay in the very old hotel in which the assassination
of Ryoma took place. Ryoma looms large in the mythology of Japan's
emergence into modernization. Many people believe that without him, Japan
might not have kept its independence from foreign domination, and may have
met the kind of colonial oppression suffered by some of the other Asian
countries. He is also considered to be something like the father of the
Japanese Navy, in that he was one of the early visionaries to realize that
this island nation would need a modern fleet to defend itself and protect
and promote commerce. Ryoma himself is such a romantic and exciting
figure that it is simply fun to read about him, but then in addition he is
so central to the main currents of his period that as his tale unfolds,
one is also encountering many of the most influential personages of that
era. Although Ryoma was passionate about the highest ideals and values,
he was also the kind of warrior who plans on winning. He reminds one of
the song, "I'm going down town with a razor and a gun... I'll cut him if
he stands, and I'll shoot him if he runs." He felt his life had been
saved by a Smith and Wesson revolver, so he added one to his customary
equipment. Perhaps the single greatest influence on his life was his
sister Otome, and unfortunately he had just given her his favorite pistol
shortly before those assassins burst into his room (...to be continued).
RYOMA is available through your favorite bookseller, such as Amazon.com,
but readers of the KENYU may obtain it for a 15% discount with postage
waived simply by contacting the publisher Ridgeback Press directly through
the 1 (800) 832-6134 phone number. All they have to do is identify
themselves as members of the PNKF.
more about this book
"Heaven's Revenge!" a voice screamed in the darkness. Throwing the
lantern into the gutter on the side of the road, Izo immediately drew his
sword. "This is Okada Izo of Tosa!" he roared. Blue light flashed off
his blade, and a fraction of a second later the screech of steel cutting
through bone pierced Kaishu's ears. "This is Okada Izo of Tosa," he
repeated, "but you might know me better as 'The Butcher.'" Izo's warning
must have worked, because after he had cut down his second opponent, a
third man could be heard running in the opposite direction, the only other
sound the steady falling of the rain. --Romulus Hillsborough, RYOMA:
LIFE OF A RENAISSANCE SAMURAI.
Ryoma spent the night at an inn in the castletown. Early the next morning
a young samurai came to escort the celebrated Tosa swordsman to the
official martial arts training hall of Choshu. "Sakamoto-sensei, we've all
been waiting to see a demonstration of your excellent swordsmanship,"
Kusaka's messenger said. Ryoma's reputation was still that of the
distinguished former head of the Chiba Dojo. There was not a swordsman in
all of Hagi Castletown who was not aware that Ryoma had defeated the
esteemed Katsura Kogoro in a fencing match several years before. --Romulus
Hillsborough, RYOMA: LIFE OF A RENAISSANCE SAMURAI.
Ryoma Society
Hokkaido Ryoma
InfoRyoma
Kyoto
National Museum Ryoma Exhibit, August/September 2001
Ryoma Fanclubs
Ryoma Network
Ryoma at Kochi City
Ryoma Kaien
Ryoma's teacher and friend the great Takechi Zuizan
Tom Bolling's home page
